Spurs to make decision on pair of loanees | OneFootball

In recent weeks, we have seen a really fruitful run of games for Tottenham Hotspur youngsters Josh Keeley and Jamie Donley, during their loan spells at League One side Leyton Orient. During this period, Orient have rapidly moved up the table, and now sit in 8th place, just five points off the play-off positions.

Spurs to make a decision on two promising young players

Owing to this exceptional run of form, there has been interest from higher up the pyramid. Alasdair Gold has suggested that Spurs have been left with “big decisions to make” ahead of what to do with each player ahead of the second half of the season. Do you leave them where they are, playing every week, or try and test them at a higher level?

The answer to this one feels clear – keep them where they are. There is no reason to disrupt their development. If you can find a Championship side that can guarantee them both game time – maybe? That doesn’t feel likely though, and if it was possible – it would probably be for a team who loses a lot more than they win. Is that better than what they have at the moment?

Plus, truth be told – nobody can ‘guarantee’ game time. It even took Keeley and Donley both a while to get into the Orient XI on a regular basis. Now they’re both thriving, it feels too risky to break that up, at this current moment in time.

We have seen Keeley make club history (along with his defence), as the O’s have now kept a club record seven clean sheets in a row. The last time the goalkeeper conceded a goal was on the 30th of November, where he scored a goal to keep his side in the FA Cup. He has also since registered an assist, in the 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

Meanwhile, Donley has really made the number ten spot his own. The midfielder scored and assisted in the win at Barnsley, played a defence splitting pass for one of the goals against Crawley, and scored in the win at home to Cambridge United – all in the last three games.

There really is no rush. We can be quick to forget just how young 19 is for a senior player. Allowing Donley to complete this season with Orient, before a season-long-loan to the Championship at 20 next season – feels like the sensible thing to do.

As for Keeley – he is 21, but, perhaps has even more time on his side. Keepers are known for lasting and peaking later than outfield players. With the added prominence of sports science in recent years, that gap has perhaps got a bit smaller – but it still feels like 21 for a goalkeeper is the same as being 18 or 19 for an outfielder.